I’ve been asking myself this question lately because recently, I was deeply hurt, and it bothered me for almost a week and affected my demeanor. It occurred to me that the answer to my question would be found by reading the red letters that show the words of Jesus in the gospels. In Matthew chapter 5, I started seeing the answer. I had Ellen, I, and the kids read the red letters in the gospels during our devotional times to answer this question and teach ourselves how to deal with persecution. I’d begun it before inviting them but quickly felt that it would help our family to study it together. We read the NIV and the Message Paraphrase side-by-side.
Matthew 5:10-12 started providing the answer.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
When we are suffering persecution that is undeserved for doing God’s work, like what I suffered over the last week, we should instead of being sad, start rejoicing, and thanking God. Reading Matt 5:10-12 in the MSG makes the message clearer.
James 1:2-4 preaches a similar message, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
In Romans 5:1-5 Paul says something similar, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
In Acts 5:40-42, we the apostles left rejoicing after they Jewish teachers persecuted and flogged them! They counted it as a blessing. They were there when Jesus’ taught his sermon on the mount and took him literally! As they should have.
“They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”
1 Peter 3:8-18 preaches the same message about being blessed when you are persecuted when you have done nothing to deserve it.
It’s also important to remember that everything that comes to the child of God is Father-filtered. God never allows any temptation or persecution to come your way that he doesn’t have a plan to use it for your good. Joseph’s brothers sold Joseph into slavery, meaning to harm him, but God’s plan was to turn that very act into the fulfillment of Joseph’s vision. God works all things for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. God will never let his children be tempted beyond what they can bear. So, we have God’s word to stand on.
In Philippians 4, Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 2:21-23, shows us how to handle persecution and suffering just like Jesus did.
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
The response to all this is not to try to walk as Jesus did in the flesh, using human effort. It’s impossible to do it without the Holy Spirit’s help. This should prompt you to pray a heartfelt prayer to God and ask him to help you become like Jesus in this regard. That prayer, though very crucial is not the end. With God’s air in your lungs, you have to start with baby steps and practice daily until you start automatically responding to persecution with blessings just like Jesus did. It requires a reconditioning of your heart; a paradigm change; the development of a new automatic response to irritating situations. This will be a learned response and our ability to desire and to learn this new automatic response is facilitated by the work of the Holy Spirit, but we do the hard work and sweat, as God gives us the grace to work harder and harder, beating our bodies into the form that we desire, one that allows us to automatically behave like Jesus.
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